Refractory brick



Sept. 30, 1958 D. a. SAMUEL REFRACTORY BRICK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 14, 1955 FIG-l- FIG.6.

Donald G. Samuel Sept. 30, 1958 D. SAMUEL REFRACTORY BRICK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 14, 1955 FIG] FIG.8

FIG.9

INVENTOR. Donald 6. Samuel United States Patent f1 ce REFRACTORY BRICK Donald Glenn Samuel, Norristown, Pa., assignor to E. J. Lavino and Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application March 14, 1955, Serial No. 494,069

3 Claims. (Cl. 72-35) This invention relates to metal cased refractory brick for use in construction of walls, sprung and suspended roofs, and other parts of furnaces. Such brick have been widely used in metallurgical furnaces, particularly in the basic open hearth furnaces for making steel. Frequently the bricks have metal coverings on their faces and sides, leaving the ends exposed, although it has not been unusual to provide a channel shaped case which covers one face and the two sides and leaves one face as well as the ends exposed.

Heretofore such casings have been applied in a number of ways. One method is to fill a hollow tube of the desired wall thickness, length, and cross section with the refractory mix, either by packing with the loose mix or by inserting a previously formed brick. In another method the case is attached by compacting the refractory mix in a mold containing a previously inserted channel shaped metal case to cover one face and the two sides of the brick. Such cases are frequently provided with projections extending into the mold cavity, these projections locking into the brick on pressing, and providing means for securing the case to the brick. If desired, a separate plate provided with similar projections can be forced into place by the upper plunger of the press when the mix is compacted. This method is, of course, applicable only to brick intended for use in the unfired state. In a third method a three sided case is applied by providing a sheet metal piece bent into the form of a channel with the channel flanges converging toward their free edges, the flanges being then sprung apart and the brick inserted so that the case is held on-the brick by the spring tension of the flanges against the sides of the brick.

One common disadvantage inherent in all such conventional structures is that the various hollow tubes, metal cases or channel-shaped sheet metal pieces for easing the bricks described above are made up in large quantities and stored in a convenient place so as to-be readily available as the demand for cased bricks so dictates. Because such casing members are relatively bulky, they naturally require a substantial amount of storage space. Additionally, as many different forms or types of such casings must be made up as will fit all of the numerous shapes and sizes of refractory brick commonly used. This further increases the required amount of storage space since not only must large quantities of rather bulky metal casings be stored but also large quantities of each type and size of casing must be accounted for. Also, such casings, particularly the channel-shaped cases, are relatively delicate and are easily damaged during handling. That is, they are easily dented or bent and, of course, the ensuing difficulty in properly fitting the cases to the brick works to a definite disadvantage.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an improved metal cased refractory brick wherein the case is formed from a plurality of separate flat sheets or plates which may be easily stored in a minimum of space.

of temperature.

7 2,853,872 Patented Sept. 30, 1958 Within a group of bricks of the same size but embodying all of the different shapes commonly used, certain faces of most of the bricks of these different shapes will be of the same area and size. Thus, one type of plate having the particular shape and dimensions necessary will accommodate all the faces whereas when hollow tubes, metal cases or spring engaged channels are used, it is necessary to provide different hollow tubes, metal cases or channel shapes to accommodate each different shape of brick. With the present invention, a few plates of different shape and dimensions will be suitable for casing all the different shapes of brick in a given size.

It is, therefore, another object of this invention to provide a novel means for metal casing bricks wherein separate plates or sheets are applied to one or more faces of each brick such as to permit a minimum of different types of flat sheets or plates to accomplish the metallic casing for all the various shapes or forms of refractory brick of each size. I

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved metal casing for refractory brick wherein the casing is readily and easily applied at a minimum of cost and by means of relatively unskilled labor and yet wherein the casing will have higher retention qualities during normal or rough handling Without sacrificing the efficacy of the casing to prevent spalling or chipping of the refractory brick when the same is subjected to variations In this respect, the invention contem-- plates casing refractory brick by adhesively applying to one or more faces thereof plates which are cut, stamped or otherwise obtained from flat sheets, the plates being of such dimension as to cover a brick face substantially in its entirety but without extending all the way to the marginal or mounting edges of the same. Thus, a refractory brick cased in accordance with this invention is characterized by having its arrises exposed. The advantages obtained by this construction are two fold, namely, the exposed arrises present tunnels lengthwise along and between adjacent bricks when the same are laid up which permits furnace heat to directly penetrate, by radiation and convection, a substantial distance length-. wise of the brick so as to effect a very neat and effective oxidized bond between each plate and the adjacent bricks, and the exposed arrises permit such arrises to take the brunt of any impact which the bricks may be subjected to while being handled which would tend to dislodge the plates. At the same time, the plates extend close enough to the arrises so that the brick is effectively reinforced thereby to prevent actual cleavage .or large chips from being dislodged.

It is, therefore, another object of the invention to provide an improved form of cased refractory brick wherein the casing comprises separate metal plates secured to surfaces of the brick by cementitious material, the plates being slightly undersize with respect to the area of their associated brick surfaces so that While the plates may be easily and readily applied by virtue of the nature of their securement' to thebrick, the exposed edges or arrises of the brick resulting from the undersize of the plate and their placement thereupon permits such edges or arrises to protect the plate against dislodgment during handling. T he expense and skilled labor required by the first two conventional methods previously described is obviated by the simple cementing process of this invention whereas high plate retention is achieved by exposing the edges of the brick, additional advantages residing inv the diminishment of required storage space and the more rapid and effective bonding and oxidation of the metal plates. It is to be clearly understood that this invention encompasses metal casing of both fired and chemically bonded (i. e. unfired) brick.

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown in .wall surface of the furnace.

the accompanying drawings but it is to be understood that this showing is illustrative only and is not intended to belimiting to the exact construction shown since obviously changes ,can;.be .madegboth in detail, construction and arrangements of partsWithoubforrning a departure from the spirit;,.and scope of this invention as set forth and defined. inthe appended claims.

.:In the drawings:

.Fig. lisa perspective view of a refractory brick cased in accordance-with this invention;

Fig. lisatransverse section taken through the brick shown in -Fig. ;1;

,Fig.1 Bisa sectional viewtshowing the mannerin which the exposed portions of the brick protect the metal casingplates and at the same time the manner. in which the brickg'is reinforced; by these plates;

Fig.c.4 is a perspective view of a wall portion constructed with bricks cased in accordance. with this invenl .9 1,;3 1 ust tin he tunne term y e he pe fi placement of ;the-.-plates so .thatheatpenetration is bad througho.ut a substantial;,portion alongthe edges of the plates;

Big. S-is a plan view of one of thebasic plates utilized :in thepracticeof this invention;

F h pl v wr an th r b s p h s 7 a netspec i n h nahh h embodime -;1=h eht 0 th y be ta e w th th 9 mposite block rshown d sposed with its bottom face upperto be, formed from any one ofthe .standardbrick mixes and will begdried and. fired if .desired in the conventional manner. The .brickitself maybe either firedor unfired, the same making, no. difference. in so .far as. the: principles of this invention are concerned.

iReference.11;illustrates the end .face. of the brick which .will be exposed andwhich .will form the inner sideof the The top and bottom sur- .fac.es as wcllas the side surfaces of'thebrick are shown to she-cased by the individual flat sheets or-plates 12, 13,

:14. and respectively. "These plates-are metallio. and are preferably: formed of -mild steel. Each plate is .slightly .undersize with respect to theareaof the surface twwhichdtdsaffixed andthe plates are sopositionedon their associated surfaces so that marginal edge portions I. are exposed all the way-around thebrick. -By way of example, as shown in Fig. l, the plate 12 exposesthe side edge marginalportions 16 and 17 as. well as the endedge marginal portions -18;.and 19. This-'leayes thearrises -20, 21, 22; and 23 exposed in the manner shown.

-The arriscs bounding the exposed end surfaces of the brick are also exposed since the plates terminate short of the opposite ends'of-the brick. Toillustrate the manner in which the exposed-arrises protect the casing plates from being. dislodgedtherefirom, an example is'illustrated inFig. 3 wherein=thebrick hasbeen'dropped upon one of-its exposed end corners. I Intheillustration, it becomes clear how the corner of the brick will be slightly ,chipped away but not to a sufiicient amount as to destroy theme- I fplness ofthe same and it willbe readily apparent that the exposed arris .or corner absorbs the greatest bulk f the ,shockuforce, caused by the brick. being dropped. The

initial impact .crnshes or chips the arris .or oornersuch as-thc case-maybe and thereafter-the platesthemselyes absorb om o he-impa t sz vi enc bythe n me orrdeformedcornerportions 24, and 25. Of course the -lithic structure ,or. mass.

vfurnacev heat to penetrate suhstantiallygthe entire: longi- .tions .OfllflC easingwithin, the bIi QKJIli TD TJhY:PIQYiFilL g ,holes in the metal -cas es..within whichithecbrick=mix is forced or by similar interlocking means. Extremely good retention isv accomplishedin the herein described method of casing by using only adhesive in conjunction with the exposed arrises. E'This intturn-doestnot dictate a special brick molding technique as would be required with the metal cases described above but allows the bricks to be f m di th su mann s nc th v h l tislua i1ea storable plates 3. 76 @Pplied after the brick isjformed.

Them nn n h ht e pla s. eafixedt zthe tass e e bri sutta s nsists. o g uing. ope et cnhnd for this purpose it hasbeenlfound tliat arnbberbase adhesive. produces the :most satisiactory res1ilts. ,The; glue or adhe vem ehpplie ect h bt ih at the Plat de r an v m b ap iedlinha sd sired manner such as brnshing, spraying; spotting or the like. The method of plating the bricks encompassessthe u -0 ama wh c m y manu y l auli allyep atedorfthe like .and .which maybe either manuallyor automatically controlled. ,Atter the adhesive .hasi'been sui ab app e whi h t buc t p a ithen .or plateslyvill .be applied to the brick, thef brickplaced, in

vtheipress and apredeterminedamountoflpressnre applied a a theplh th rm v p e the pon h 1 b i k lnrthis respect, it is to be nnderstood that the plates rnay the applied singIy inZ pp site pairs or-to three o four s s th ri s m t eoh lyrundesire altt sttmb a understood that. as ma i u ase th f e brick a s ..m be p a e in t e-ma in r e sr be T-ha ii u de ome s rtum tah e tm yibe-s eurahlstq ate-moth one. d /h top o bottom. h m of h i jp fi hi y flbeedesiigable to plate two or three surfacesghereofiin .lieu the c n uct on ho ii Fi s land h te hsfo s d -o surt ces h th br sk aren a ed- El e-mam e t ya a io u acssnlats l astds st o ac omm ;d .-fo a l.ic rc mstanc s ls V X09139? thel s -bein anpr q a s th. .,.iu h u yh it i prete s sth @hlyn... .-..1 rdi p s d-hetwe ni, any; wo a j c brickwsurtit h i ihs wa faces.

. add t t ab ve .l.e.scribe advantag the exposedarrises of the brick form the longitudinallyexte ding :mnnel 26 in;.-; he; mann r illu t ate i F gs 4. Metal-cased bricks are laid upwithout the rusetof mortar asince subsequent high temperature-of the ;furnace-.-Will oxidize the-metallic plates andcause them to yery-firmly adhere to the brick surfacesstouultimatelyattain a monozThe. tunnels 1 26 permit the .tndinalalength of the bricks by direct -;radiation and convection and thus. attain. an .oxidizingcbondv which. ;is

. oftmuch-greatera depth than wouldtordinarilyabe attained bytheuse-xoflmetal cased brickot conventional constructionaand, :moreover, the bonding. or .oxidation of the metallic plates occurs much more rapidly. andthoronghly -by the existence-of the-tunnels Zdinasmuch as the direct radiation and convection operating over a muchgreater surface areaofthe plates causes much morerapld oxidation andimorefthoroughbonding than isattained by conventional cased brick which areqbonded proxidized mainly by the action ofconduction of heatthrough the bricks and plates.

,The-emh im ntp he. i ention i lust a i Fis 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings is an example of one of several alternative constructions hereinbefore mentioned, and in which the refractory brick is plated on only one, two or three of its side faces in lieu of the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 wherein all four side faces of the brick are plated, the variation of the surfaces plated being to accommodate for different conditions met with in the building of walls, it being appreciated that there may be many instances when it is preferred that only one thickness of plate be disposed between any two adjacent brick surfaces.

The construction of block illustrated in Figs. 7, S and 9 is the same as that shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 except that in this instance the refractory brick is plated on only two of its side faces. In these views, 27 designates generally the elongate refractory brick of rectangular transverse section having flat quadrilateral side faces 28, 29, 30 and 31. 32 designates the end face of the refractory brick which will form the inner side of the wall surface of the furnace. In this instance, only the bottom side face 30 and adjacent side face 31 of the brick are cased by metal plates 33 and 34, respectively, the plates being superposed upon and adhesively secured to said side faces and projecting outwardly from the side faces of the brick to which they are adhered normal to the plane of the same. Each of the plates 33, 34 is of the same general configuration as and of an area sufiicient to cover the side face of the brick to which it is adhered substantially in its entirety but of slightly less width than the respective side face of the brick, each plate 33 and 34 being disposed centrally between and with its longitudinal side edges parallel with and spaced inwardly from the corresponding longitudinal side edges of the side face to which it is adhered so that longitudinal marginal side edge portions 30a, 30b, and 31a, 31b of the side faces 30 and 31 outwardly of the side edges of the metal plates substantially throughout the length of the brick are exposed and the longitudinal arrises 35, 36 and 37 adjacent the side edges of the metal plates are exposed and in inwardly offset relation with respect to the planes containing the outer faces of the plates.

As with the construction of block shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, when a plurality of blocks of the construction illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are laid with their side faces side by side in superposed courses as shown in Fig. 9, longitudinal marginal side edge portions of each of the refractory bricks outwardly of the side edges of the metal plates are exposed continuously for the length of the brick, and tunnels 38 are formed longitudinally of all of the bricks along the longitudinal side edge portions of the same, but it will be noted that with the construction of block illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 there is only one thickness of plate disposed between any two adjacent brick surfaces.

I claim:

1. In a furnace wall construction, a plurality of elongate composite blocks laid with their side faces side by side in superposed courses, each of said blocks comprising an elongate refractory brick of rectangular transverse section having flat side surfaces and separate elongate oxi dizable metal plates superposed upon and adhered to several of the flat side surfaces thereof and projecting outwardly therefrom normal to the plane thereof, each plate being of a size and shape that falls within the configuration of the side surface of the brick to which it is adhered and being disposed inwardly of the longitudinal side edges of said side surface of the refractory brick, there being at least one of said plates between and spacing the opposed side surfaces of each pair of adjacent bricks in the same course and between and spacing the opposed side surfaces of each pair of adjacent bricks of adjacent courses, longitudinal marginal side edge portions of each of the refractory bricks outwardly of the side edges of the metal plate being exposed continuously for the length of the brick, and tunnels being formed longitudinally of all of the bricks along the longitudinal side edge portions of the same, whereby furnace heat may penetrate longitudinally of the bricks by radiation and convection to oxidize the metal plates and bond the blocks together.

2. In a furnace Wall construction, a plurality of elongate composite blocks laid with their side faces side by side in superposed courses, each of said blocks comprising an elongate refractory brick of rectangular transverse section having flat side surfaces, and separate solid oxidizable elongate metal plates superposed upon and adhered to several of the fiat side surfaces thereof and projecting outwardly therefrom normal to the plane thereof, each metal plate being of a shape corresponding substantially to the configuration of the associated brick side surface to which it is adhered and being of a size to fall within the configuration of the same, and said metal plates being arranged with the side edges thereof disposed parallel to and spaced inwardly from the longitudinal side edges of the associated brick surface, there being at least one of said plates between and spacing the opposed side surfaces of each pair of adjacent bricks in the same course, and between and spacing the opposed side surfaces of each pair of adjacent bricks of adjacent courses, longitudinal marginal side edge portions of each of the refractory bricks outwardly of the side edges of the plates being exposed continuously for the length 'of the brick and tunnels being presented longitudinally of all of the bricks along the longitudinal side edge portions of the same, whereby furnace heat may penetrate longitudinally of all of the bricks by radiation and convection to oxidize the plates and bond the blocks together.

3. A composite block for use in construction of furnace walls comprising an elongate refractory brick of rectangular transverse section having flat quadrilateral side faces and two flat end faces, said end faces being exposed, and separate elongate oxidizable bendable metal plates superposed upon and adhesively secured to two adjacent side faces of the brick, the other two side faces of the brick being exposed, said plates projecting outwardly from the side faces of the brick to which they are adhered normal to the plane of the same, each plate being of the same general configuration as and of an area sufficient to cover the side face of the brick to which it is adhered substantially in its entirety but of slightly less width than the respective side face of the brick, the plate being disposed centrally between and with its longitudinal sides edges parallel with and spaced inwardly from the corresponding longitudinal side edges of the side face to which it is adhered so that longitudinal marginal side edge portions of the side face of the brick outwardly of the side edges of the metal plate substantially throughout the length of the brick are exposed, and the longitudinal arris adjacent each side edge of each of the metal plates being in inwardly offset relation with respect to the plane containing the outer face of the metal plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 310,088 Sherry Dec. 30, 1884 833,455 Gerald Oct. 16, 1906 1,576,021 Aram Mar. 9, 1926 1,672,524 Groninger June 5, 1928 1,943,036 OReilly Jan. 9, 1934 2,216,813 Goldschrnidt Oct. 8, 1940 2,256,272 Batcheller Sept. 16, 1941 2,336,366 Mudge Dec. 7, 1943 2,736,187 Coifman et a1 Feb. 28, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,021,415 France of 1952 

